Centrifugal clutch



Oct. 26, 1943. HEINTZ 2,333,007

' CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Fil ed March 11, 1942 INVENTOR. RALPH M /'///V7Z A TTORNE Y Patented Get. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,333,007 CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Ralph M. l-Ieintz, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to 7 Jack & Heintz, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio Application March 11, 1942, Serial No. 434,235

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic clutch mechanism for establishing a driving connection between two shafts in response to rotation of one of the shafts.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic clutch mechanism for rotating a driven shaft by means of a driving shaft and for preventing rotation of the driving shaft by the driven shaft,

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic clutch mechanism responsive to centrifugal force upon rotation of a driving'shaft to connect the driving shaft with a driven shaft for a predetermined direction of rotation.

For a better understanding of the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the present clutch mechanism;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the driving member;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

cylindrical portion 25 containing inner cam surfaces 28 and 21 joined by the steps, or stops, 2B and 29. When the mechanism is assembled, that portion of the driving member including the plates l4 and I5 and the dogs 20 and 2| is adapted to be housed within the cylindrical portion 25 of the driven member i I. I

The arrangement of the parts is such that when,

the driving shaft 3 is rotated in the proper direction the dogs 20 and 2| will engage the stops 28 and 29 to rotate the driven member II and spin I mitting rotation to the hand crank shaft 3.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1, the shaft being rotated 90 from the position shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the driven member, taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use with hand cranking mechanism associated with an electric starter on airplane engines or the like. The bevel gear I, shown in mesh with trative and not in a limiting sense.

the bevel gear 2, is connected with an electric motor 22 adapted to impart high speed rotation to an inertia flywheel 23. A flexible shaft 3 is connected with a hand crankmechanism indicated generally by the numeral 24. It is desirable that the rotation of the shaft 3 in one direction be transmitted to the gears I and 2 to rotate the inertia flywheel by hand power, while at the same time preventing the rotation of the shaft 3 by means of the motor 22. Two housing parts 4 and 5 contain suitable bearings 6, I, 8, 9 for rotatably carrying a driving member I0 and a driven member I I, respectively. Driving member ID is provided with a squared hole IQ for receiving the end of squared extension l2 on the shaft 3.

Driving connection may be established between the driven member I l and the bevel gear 2 by means of a pin l3 or the like. The driving member l0 includes a pair of spaced plates I4 and I5 joined by pins I6 and I1 and a hollow central member 18. Dogs 20 and 2f are mounted for free pivotal action upon the pins [6 and H.

The driven member H is provided with a It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is therefore intended that the above description and accompanying drawing shall be considered as illus- The inven tion is to be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clutch mechanism comprising a two part housing, one of said parts carrying a driving member for rotation therein, the other part carrying a driven member for rotation therein, said driving member comprising a pair of spaced plates, a plurality of pivots interconnecting said plates, dogs on said pivots betweensaid plates, said driven member having a cylindrical portion with cam and step interior surfaces, and means for securing said two parts of said housing together with said plates and said dogs contained within said cylindrical portion whereby said driving member is capable of rotating said driven member in one direction only and said driven member is incapable of rotating said driving member in said direction.

2. A one way clutch mechanism comprising a first housing part, spaced hearings in said part,

parts containing spaced bearings, a driving member with centrifugal dogs carried in the bearings in-one of said parts, and a driven member adapted for rotational engagement by said dogs carried in the bearings in the other of said 5 housing parts, the arrangement being such that when the two housing parts are secured together the driving and driven members are held in 1 cooperating relation, whereby said clutch mech= anism functions additionally as a shaft coupling 10 device.

RALPH M. 

